Browse Forums Pools & Spas 1 Apr 30, 2013 2:26 pm Can someone talk me in our out of getting pool or a spa? What are the pros of swimming pool besides obvious (fun and excitement) Reading a lot of comments from people complaining about up keeping cost for their pools and spas. Need to decide whether to get a pool or a spa or go and live without it. The idea of having a pool is very warming but what is it like in reality (since we have never owned or had a pool or a spa in the rental place)... Re: Getting Pool or Spa 2May 02, 2013 4:59 am we have had a spa for several years. it has been great. what we have done as we have solar power is connect the spa to a timer. this helps with the cost of the spa operation. with solar power our last power bill for three months was under 200 dollars. regular maintenance is good. when we first started we had no idea of looking after a spa so had a fortnightly pool guy come in and test clean etc. now we do it ourselves. this also made our decision easier in deciding to get a pool in our new home. we will also set up with timer etc to take advantage of the solar power. the pool guy will come again for a couple of months to help us get used to the pool. so all in all it is a personal choice some will say no and others will say yes get a pool. but if you want one and think you will use it go for it. Re: Getting Pool or Spa 3May 02, 2013 5:50 am We have both a pool and a spa. Our outdoor spa we bought as we didn't think we would be able to afford a house with a pool. We ended up getting a house with a pool so we had both. When we moved to our last house we put in the pool and still had the spa. We have had our spa for 8 years and we love it. The last year while we have been in our rental we have not been able to use it as the landlord would not allow us to plumb it in, and I have really missed it. When we move into the new house, the spa will be one of the first things we get up and running, the pool will have to wait a year or so. The spa isn't cheap to run. We have it working when it is off peak electricity and have it sleeping in peak time. The pool we do the same, but it has a couple of motors, one for the filter and the other one for the solar. So again not the cheapest thing you can have With the maintenance, everything in the pool is automatic, so there is not too much upkeep there, but to be honest my DH takes care of it all so I am not involved in that. Modified Fernside 38 Rawson Homes Blog: http://www.thehousethatmatandjenbuilt.blogspot.com Build Thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=60501 Re: Getting Pool or Spa 4May 02, 2013 8:01 am We are also still trying to decide whether to put in a pool. Do you think they add value to your house? If we decide to sell I think it turns off a lot of people, especially in our area which is coastal retirement. Also if we decide to stay, I don't think I want the upkeep when the kids have left home. On the other hand if someone gave me one, I would take it! Confused. Re: Getting Pool or Spa 5Jun 11, 2013 9:44 am I currently have a spa and am looking to put in a pool as well. My advice is if you have the room and money, go with the pool. It adds more value plus I think it's a bit more fun. Re: Getting Pool or Spa 6Jun 11, 2013 11:58 am The major costs of owning a pool/spa comes from the cost of running the circulation pump, the heater, and the costs of topping the pool/spa up with water. You can reduce the costs associated with circulation pumps by making sure the pump you buy is suited to the pool water volume - the aim is to circulate the full volume of water in one day. Some pumps are far too large for the pool, water is circulated more than required achieving no real benefit and costing more money! Here's an example - a 1hp pump will use around 0.9 kWh of electricity. Say you have it running 8 hours a day. Total cost = 0.9 x $0.24 (cost of electricity) = $0.216 per hour x 8 hour = $1.73 per day. Over a year the total cost would be $631.45. A 2hp pump will use around 1.9 kWh of electricity. If you run it for the same 8 hours each day the total cost per day becomes $3.65. Each year that works out to $1,332.25 An alternative is to go with a variable or multispeed pump - Something like the Viron eVo P320. These run at different speeds depending on the flow required at the time. Normal filtration uses low flow, pool vacuum uses high etc. The lower the speed the less electricity consumed. These can cut electricity costs by about 80% compared with a traditional single speed pump = a real money saver. For pool heating the obvious choice in Australia is solar. There's two main types; panels or rubber strips. I've found that panels are longer lasting and more reliable. Also, with panels you don't always need a separate booster pump, you can use the existing circulation pump, meaning no additional pump running expenses. Here's a link to a thread about the comparative costs of different spa heating methods. viewtopic.php?f=65&t=63917 To cut down on water top up costs the best option is to use a pool blanket. These keep your pool warm (and full of water) by cutting down on evaporation. 3 3564 Use a product like Equisol's Vitalise to clean the deck then coat with a penetrating timber oil. It will look 10 years younger and add value to your home. Visit for… 1 15812 How much are you ahead in payments compared to where the build is at? Have you fully drawn down the loan? 5 11933 |